Starbucks vs Indie Coffee

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Take a look at this map of Philadelphia coffee hotspots. Notice all the evil Starbucks. Then take a look at all the fabulous indie shops so close by! Make the choice to support local business and walk that extra block or two to another store. It’ll be worth it.

(ARGH. Is the map showing up for you guys? I’m having a tough time getting the spots to show up. I’ll post a link to each shop soon, so you can see them)

Independent Coffee Map

Independents Coffee Cooperative is a group of independently owned coffeehouses and cafes currently based in Philadelphia.  They formed a small collective in 2003 and have since grown into a concerned group of independent business owners and members, who are “focused on increasing the sale of fair-trade & organic coffee and educating consumers on fair-trade and sustainability issues.”

Their efforts in the city have helped to create a network of like-minded businesses and an alternative to the “big business” plaguing the area.  The group, which includes cafes like Cafe Estelle, Joe Coffee Bar, the Green Line Cafes, and the Metropolitan Bakery, is making a positive impact in our communities and on the environment. So kudos to you guys! While their website has updated in a while, the cafes are still very active and working hard to achieve the goals of the ICC.

Check out their map of all the local shops in the group and drink easy knowing that your coffee supports fair trade and equal exchange programs.

Variety Show Tonight!

Princeton’s Small World Coffee, one of my all-time favorite independant coffee shops, is hosting a huge variety show tonight in their Witherspoon St. location. The cafe will be raising money for one of their baristas, who travels to Peru next month to volunteer at a free medical clinic. All proceeds go towards his travel expenses and any excess will go directly to the clinic. What a great cause!

That’s one of my favorite things about Small World – they’re such a big part of the community and this isn’t the first time I’ve seen the employees gather around a cause and get passionate.  Can’t make it out tonight? Feel free to donate online…every penny counts!

The morning report

By now, you all know how I feel about Starbucks and a few have withnessed my maniacal glee over its newfound struggle to survive. A bit harsh, yes, but as a former indie barista whose job was nearly forced out by corporate competition I have a bit of a personal grudge. This week, Dunkin Donuts released its new ad campaign, that claims that good ol’ DD trumps Starbucks in a national blind taste test. They even launched a new website called – yep, Dunkin Beats Starbucks.

In more exciting news…Holy boobs, Batman! Save the tatas! In a disturbing new study at a Swedish University, evidence was found to suggest a link between coffee consumption and the shrinking of breasts.

Helena Jernström, a lecturer in experimental oncology at Lund University, said “Studies carried out on almost 270 women showed that there was indeed a clear connection between coffee and smaller breasts.”

Consequently, it was also found that regular coffee consumption reduces your risk of developing breast cancer. Hmph. Win some lose some, eh?

French Pressed Coffee

In an effort to cut down on paper waste and save a little cash (while still being productive in the mornings), I’ve recently acquired a french press coffee pot. They’re incredibly easy to use and I feel like they provide a much cleaner and stronger brew than a traditional coffee pot. It’s also an economical choice, because I live alone in an apartment; with this system I can easily brew one or two cups in less than ten minutes without wasting water, coffee, or energy.

A French press consists of a tall jug (usually made of glass or plastic) with a lid and a plunger which fits tightly in the cylinder and acts as a filter for the coffee grinds. Coffee is brewed by placing the coffee grinds and boiling water in the pot, leaving to brew for a few minutes, then pressing the plunger down to trap and filter the grinds.

The result is a fresh and strong brew, with incredible flavor – something that is usually left behind in a traditional coffee maker’s paper filter. I recommend using filtered water and grinding your beans right before you brew, in order to maintain the  best flavor possible.

Coffee Geek has a very detailed article about the details and quirks of owning a press pot. To illustrate how easy it is to use, here’s my super simple slideshow of the 11 steps to french-pressed coffee bliss:

Image courtesy of amazon.com

Amazon.com has a great selection of pots which range from as low as $13 right on up to $80.

My personal favorite is the ultra hip three-cup press from Bodum, made with heat-resistant glass and curved black accents. It is dishwasher safe and has a stainless steel press and filter. This stylish press sells at Target stores and online, and retails for about $15.

New York Times = my hero

As a news junkie, The New York Times’ website is a constant and daily fixture in my life. I’m constantly checking for updates, browsing blogs, and stealing recipes from the Health and Wellness section.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered a whole section on coffee today! To access, go to “Times Topics” in the tab on the top of the page. Click on “Browse All Topics” and choose letter C. Pick “Coffee” and tadaaaa.

In other news news (haha), I’ve recently discovered that Temple University’s student newspaper has a very well developed Food section. Check out this article from last April about Old City Coffee and what it means to be a “true Philadelphia coffee shop”.

The Art of Latte Art

When I began working as a barista at Fedora Cafe in Lawrenceville in 2003, I was blindly thrown into the world of coffee and espresso. They taught me how to work the espresso machine, steam the milk, and briefly gave a description of the different types of drinks and how to serve them.

The first attempts were weak, milky, burnt…unappetizing. It wasn’t until my boss plucked two barely-touched cappucinos from a recently vacated table and made me taste how awful they were that I understood how serious the art of espresso making really is.

Over the years I studied on my own, buying books and working hard at the machine in to perfect my technique. I still have the burn marks on my right forearm from the steaming wand; a badge of honor that reminds me of the hours spent behind that marble counter.

It wasn’t until about two years ago that I discovered latte art, a process of making patterns with steamed milk. It’s incredibly difficult to do and requires quite a bit of patience but once you figure it out, you’ll be hooked. wikiHow has a quick instruction sheet if you’re interested in learning.

Watch this amazing video of a barista at La Columbe in Philadelphia making latte art. I’ll be making a trip over there soon to interview them, so look out for the interview next week!

October Events

This weekend looks busy at Stir It Up Coffeehouse in Mullica Hill! Saturday and Sunday from 10a.m.-4p.m. they are hosting their Fall Festival Weekend, with a free coffee tasting of seasonal blends like Pumpkin Spice, Autumn Harvest, Vermont Maple Crunch, and Apple Cinnamon Spice. With fun like pumpkin painting, ghost stories, and free food this looks like a really fun (and cheap) place to bring a date or spend time with your family. I can’t wait to try their pumpkin chai!

For those interested in learning what a proper espresso looks, smells and tastes like, you’re in luck!

Old City Coffee, that favorite fixture in Philly’s Reading Terminal Market, is hosting an Espresso 101 workshop next Wednesday Oct 15. A demo and tour of espresso machine basics will be given at the Reading location at 5:45p.m.

Rim Cafe on South 9th St is also hosting an espresso demo on Monday Oct 13 from 4-10pm. In collaboration with LavAzza brand espresso, they promise a night of “coffee le savoir faire” and barista training in both hot and cold drinks.

Strolling through the blogosphere

Looks like the theme of the day is going green.

eCoTimes gives an in-depth look at fair trade coffee and explains the effects of inflation and a changing economy. “When a farmer begins planting their crops, prices might be, for example, $3.00 a pound, but by harvest time it could have dropped to $1.00. Of that price, the farmer generally does not see enough to meet their costs of production, much less to feed a family.”

Check out the Slashfood review of Good Earth coffee, an organic coffee producer that is dedicated to fighting landfill garbage. The company is asking consumers to make their morning coffee at home. According to Slashfood, the first 20,000 people who pledge to do so, the company has promised to donate $1 to the Trust for Public Land.

Personally I think that’s a really good idea! Sure it’s a bit of extra work in the morning, but it’s worth it. Learn how to maintain and clean your home coffeemaker.

Starbucks is up to something.

This morning The Wall Street Journal posted an article exploring the coffee giant’s newest plans to stimulate a stumbling business and capture consumer interest.

Last Friday I was personally invited to attend a “Blogger/Media Breakfast Hour” at the Starbucks on 4th and South in Philly, where the store was set to reveal their new line of “healthy breakfast” items like hot oatmeal and granola bars. I’m skeptical, but look forward to seeing how this new initiative helps or hurts the company.

What do you think? Would you eat breakfast at a Starbucks?